The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-01
Comnercia! Fertilizers.

The Home and Farm says that, despite
nil that agricultural writers have said and
reiterated upon the great Importance of fer
.;,ization during the last decade or longer,
tbare is still great deal of Indifference
manifested by the average Southern farmer
on this most important subject His sins of
omission in this direction are indeed griev-
Gus. Comparatively few of our farmers
have as vet, given the subject of agricul-
ural chemistry serious thought, yet it is
Gratifying TO see that still more progress
siye order of things has opened. Our farm
ers are beginning to realize that many of
the old-time methods must give place to
more progressive and aggressive ideas and
processes.
Commercial manures have been literally
advertised in all our agricultural papers for
the past twenty years, and our farmers have
been overwhelmed and bewildered by col
unn after column of essays upon the merits
Of sbone meal, y soluble guano," Cana
dian ashes" ''land plaster" Especial" and
complete fertilizers" ETC., almost dd in
fnitum Being mere tyro in the applica-
tion of manures, the more our average
Southern farmer reads about nitrogen, phos-
phoric acid, ammonia and other alkalis,
fine less he knows of their practical uses,
consequently he discards the subject of fer
tilizers in toto as far beyond his ken. These
remarks do not apply to all farmers, for
there are many progressive and thoroughly
scientific agriculturists in the South, to
whom we are largely indebted for the new
and more progressive order of things above
alluded to. We must not be understood as
condemning theuse of commercial fertilizers.
No intelligent farmer will deny their value,
but the question is: "How can they be used
in order to pay profit on their cost"
ANY prudent man must know that the
random use of commercial fertilizers is a
waste of money Thousands of dollars have
been squandered by Southern farmers in
this direction. Their enthusiasm exceeded
their practicability. 1t is pretty evident,
therefore, that the average Southern farmer
must look elsewhere than to the merchants
warehouse for his manure supply. If he is
discreet and discerning, he will not have to
look very far, either. His own farm can
usually be relied upon to furnish all the
plant food his crops need.
1t is essential to keep land as near as pos
sible in its virgin condition-in the NEW
groundn state-minus the stumps and roots
"New ground" as every farmer well knows,
is loose and porous 1t readily absorbs and
iSa good retainer of moisture. On the con-
trary, take an old field that has been cult
waited on the old plan until utterly impover-
ished, and note how compact the soil has
become, and how readily the water runs off
instead of soaking into the soil. What is
the cause of this difference? Why is the
NEW ground" SO much more porous and
loamy than the old land, which has been
turned again and again by the plowShare:
The reason is, because the vegetable matter
or humus, which is abundant on the new
land, has been exhausted on the old. Hence,
the great difference, not only in this respect,
but also in their fertility Humus acts both
as a mechanical manure, in keeping the soil
loose, and as a chemical fertilizer in
supplying plant food Hence, the great
Importance IN keeping up the supply in the
cultivated fields. But how is this to be
done3
The value Of cow-peas is little ap-
preciated as green manure crop
by our farmers for the simple reason that
they have never attempted green manuring
or any other mode of fertilization to any
extent worth mentioning. The way our old
Georgia and Alabama forefathers used peas
as restorer of fertility is well worthy of
imitation by their descendants.